Who said Middle-Earth real estate was cheap? Amazon was already expected to spend a great deal of money on their highly-anticipated Lord of the Rings series. But the budget for its first season alone dwarfs many big screen blockbusters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the initial batch of episodes will cost NZ$650 million, which translates to $465 million in U.S. dollars.
Amazon hasn’t exactly been shy about its plans to deliver “the next Game of Thrones” to small screens everywhere. And given the popularity of the Lord of the Rings brand, Amazon executives probably feel that the number of people watching will justify its exorbitant price tag. Amazon previously spent $250 million in 2017 just to secure the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy stories. This initial deal also guaranteed a five-season commitment to the series, plus a potential spinoff. The entire package is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion.
Stuff, a New Zealand publication, was the first outlet to report on the season’s budget thanks to the country’s Official Information Act. New Zealand Minister for Economic Development and Tourism Stuart Nash also discussed the series while speaking with Morning Report. During the interview, he claimed that Lord of the Rings will be “the largest television series ever made.”
RELATED: Wayne Che Yip Joins Amazon’s Lord of the Rings as Director and EP
For comparison, the final season of Game of Thrones had a budget of $15 million per episode. Surprisingly, not even the classic Lord of the Rings series had a budget as high as the upcoming TV show. New Line Cinema spent less than $100 million for each entry in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. However, Warner Bros. was willing to spend more on Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, which reportedly cost at least $745 million.
The Lord of the Rings is currently filming in New Zealand and will hit Amazon Prime later this year.
Are you more excited to watch the series now that you know how much it costs? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
